Jesse Leonard Picked For Football All-Conference Team

(Posted November 16, 2005)

Senior Jesse Leonard has been selected as a first-team All-Conference football player.

Huntingdon, PA - Juniata College senior punter Jesse Leonard (Shade/Johnstown) has been selected to the 2005 Middle Atlantic All-Conference Football Team. Leonard captured first-team recognition for the first time in his career after being recognized as a second-team All-Conference pick following his sophomore season. The All-Conference Team is chosen by the conference's 11 head coaches.

Leonard built on his reputation as one of the top special teams players in the conference with an outstanding senior year. He averaged 37 yards per punt on the season, finishing with 2,223 yards of punts on 60 attempts. He blasted a career-long 60-yard punt against conference foe Moravian, one of six punts on the season that was longer than 50 yards. He added a 59-yarder in Juniata's home finale against Delaware Valley, and had four punts of 55 yards or more on the season. His six punts of more than 50 yards marked a new career high. He pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line on 14 occasions during the season, including three efforts inside the opponents 20 in three separate games. Leonard had a 39.0 punting average or better in five of Juniata's 10 games. He closed the season ranked third in the conference in punting average.

Leonard closes his career as one of the most prolific punters in school history. He averaged 37.4 yards per punt for his career, a mark that ranks fifth in Juniata history. His 38.0 average from his sophomore season is the ninth-best single-season punting average in the history of the football program, and he narrowly missed the all-time Juniata top-10 in his other two seasons. As a three-year starter, he piled up more than 7,000 yards of punts during his career, finishing with a total of 7,080. Of the players ranked in the Juniata career top-10 in punting average, only one punted for more yards than Leonard did during his career and only two had more attempts. Forty times during his career he left the opponents inside their 20-yard line, and he closed his career with 14 punts of 50 yards or longer.

Special teams have been a strength for Juniata over the past six seasons. Since 2000 the Eagles have had a punter earn All-Conference honors in all but one year, including two All-Conference selections for Leonard.